Pilgrim Memorial State Park [MA]

Description

The Pilgrim Memorial State Park commemorates the 1620 landing of European settlers in New England. Plymouth Rock, a boulder on the shore of Plymouth Harbor, has become a world-famous symbol of the courage and faith of the men and women who founded the first New England colony. A landscaped waterfront park provides views of Plymouth Harbor, in which the Mayflower II is anchored. There are no precise records of the Mayflower's construction, but the Mayflower II is a replica of the class of vessel most likely to have brought the first pilgrims to Massachusetts. Also in the park, the National Monument to the Forefathers honors the pilgrims of the Mayflower.

The park offers exhibits and living history interpreters aboard the Mayflower II.

Peabody Historical Society and Museums

Description

The Peabody Historical Society is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving Peabody's rich history and heritage. Its headquarters, the General Gideon Foster House, has become a museum, housing most of the Society's many collections. Each room of the house features displays relating to Peabody's historic past. It is also the site of the Society's research library. Each room of the house features displays relating to Peabody's historic past. The Society also maintains the Peabody Fire Museum; housed in an old fire station, it displays firefighting artifacts and equipment on its first floor.

The museums offer exhibits and tours; the society offers lectures and occasional educational and recreational events.

Historical Society of Old Newbury [MA]

Description

The Historical Society of Old Newbury seeks to preserve and share the history of Newbury, Massachusetts, including Newburyport, West Newbury, Byfield, and Plum Island. To this end, the society operates the Cushing House Museum & Garden, which houses the society's collections. Example artifacts include four Chinese coastal Hong paintings; a 17th–century Dutch cradle; local furnishings; silver; needlework; fans; hatboxes; 19th–century toys; clocks; and a painting by Cecilia Beaux (1855–1942), an American society portrait artist.

The society offers exhibits, museum tours, a research library and research assistance.

Quincy Historical Society [MA]

Description

The Quincy Historical Society presents the history of Quincy, Massachusetts, best known as the home of John and Abigail Adams and John Quincy Adams, and the its contributions to ways of life in the United States. Other notable influences from Quincy include use of their granite supplies; the "Quincy Method" in education; the Fore River Shipyard and its products; and Howard Johnson ice cream, restaurants, and hotels. The Adams Academy, which houses the society, used to function as a boys' college preparatory school and dates to 1872. Gothic revival in style and using local granite, the academy stands on the previous site of the house in which patriot John Hancock was born.

The society offers exhibits, guest lectures, guest performances, curricula, public speaking by request, several publications, and a non-circulating library.

Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm

Description

The Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm is a family-friendly site with activities for visitors of all ages. It features a late-17th-century manor house built as the country seat of wealthy Newburyport merchants. It is also a foster farm in partnership with the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, with farm animals that may be visited year-round.

The farm offers tours, lectures, and educational and recreational programs.

The Chatham Historical Society [MA]

Description

The Chatham Historical Society seeks to preserve and share the history of Chatham, Massachusetts. To that end, the society operates a museum located within the 1752 Atwood House. The site includes nine exhibit galleries, period rooms, the mid-20th-century Nickerson North Beach Camp, bells from the Chatham school, and a Wampanoag canoe. Collections include more than 3,000 artifacts, 2,500 photographs, and 800 books.

The society offers guided tours of the Atwood House. The website offers images of collection highlights.

Natick Historical Society [MA]

Description

The Natick Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of Natick, Massachusetts, from its inauspicious beginnings as a Praying Indian Plantation to the present day. The society owns and operates a local history museum and research library.

The museum offers collections and exhibits that cover the history of Natick from its inception until the present day. The society offers educational programs for schoolchildren and special events including lectures and presentations. The website offers visitor information, a history of Natick, and information on upcoming special events.

Stephen Phillips House

Description

This Federal-style mansion contains a family collection that spans five generations. Visitors can see artifacts from near and far, hear the stories of the Phillips family, and experience over 200 years of history in the New England tradition.

The house offers tours.

Ventfort Hall Mansion and Gilded Age Museum [MA]

Description

Ventfort Hall is an Elizabethan-style mansion built in 1893 for Sarah Morgan, the sister of J. P. Morgan. Designed by the architects Rotch and Tilden, it is located in Lenox, Massachusetts, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The home is also home to the Museum of the Gilded Age. Currently, the home is partially restored, and contains exhibits, presentations, and special events that give visitors a view into life during the Gilded Age.

The mansion and museum offer concerts, tours, exhibits, and presentations. The website offers a history of the mansion, along with visitor information and an events calendar.